Military C'Ships

Russia Dominates Greco-Roman, Aliyev Tops Labazanov

Monday, May 21, 2018 - 12:37 By Ali Feizasa

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MOSCOW (May 21) -- Just as in men’s Freestyle, Russia finished 2018 Greco-Roman world military championships with the top spot.

Complete with world and European medal winners, Russians sent a strong team to the event and collected six gold medals. The host country collected 209 points (6 gold,2 silver, 1 bronze) to win team title, Iran was runner up with 132 points(1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze) and Azerbaijan came third with 119 points (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze).

55kg was the lone weight that the host country failed to win medal and Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM) grabbed gold by 7-6 victory over Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ).

2016 European bronze medal winner Gambolat LOKIAEV scored two points against Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) in 60kg finale to repeat his title in 2016 world military championships.

Mohamad NOURBAKHSH who placed second in recent Iran team trials, beat Russian Sanal SEMENOV  4-3 in 63kg final match.

In 67kg, Alexey KIYANKIN (RUS) achieved his third medal in world military championships, downing Aslan POGHOSYAN (ARM) by tech fall, 9-0 in 67 kg finales.

Two weeks after winning European title, Adam KURAK (RUS) repeated title in world military championships.

KURAK earned 3-0 victory over Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) in 72kg final bout to repeat his last year’s gold medal in the event.

77kg final match was the battle of former world champions as 2011 world champion Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) downed 2014 world champion Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS), 6-2.

The fourth title of the host country was achieved by Imil SHARAFETDINOV as the Russian wrestler beat 2018 Asian champion Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ), 7-3 in 82kgfinale.

Sosruko KODZOKOV (RUS) collected fifth gold for Russia with a technical fall 13-4 victory over Iranian Arman ALIZADEH ABDVALI in 87kg.

In 97kg, 23 years old Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) continued his progress and defeated Damian VONEUW (SUI) by 10-0 technical fall victory.

KUOSMANEN, a 2018 European bronze medal winner, spoiled Nikita MELNIKOV’s title defending in world military championships and the Finnish wrestler downed Russian 2013 world champion, 4-1 in semi final.

Vitalii SHCHUR (RUS) closed out the Greco-Roman competition with a 7-2 shutout over Balint LAM (HUN), 7-2 in hevy weight final match

2018 Greco-Roman World Military Wrestling

Team standings:

1- Russia 209 pts (6 gold,2 silver, 1 bronze)
2- Iran 132 pts (1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze)
3- Azerbaijan 119 pts (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
4- Armenia 119 pts (1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze)
5- Kazakhstan 98 pts (2 silver, 2 bronze)

Results:

55kg
GOLD- Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM) df. Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ), 7-6
BRONZE- Un Nam KWON (PRK) df. Moslem NADERI KHADEM (IRI) by FALL
BRONZE- A. NERGYIBATOR (MGL) df. JHON F. TIGREROS URBANO (COL) by forfeit

60kg
GOLD- Gambolat LOKIAEV (RUS) df. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), 2-0
BRONZE- Ararat MANUCHARYAN (ARM) df. Bence KOVACS (HUN) by TF, 8-0
BRONZE- Shirzad BEHESHTI TALA (IRI) df. Abdennour LAOUNI (ALG), 3-1

63kg
GOLD- Mohamad NOURBAKHSH (IRI) df. Sanal SEMENOV (RUS), 4-3
BRONZE- Erik TORBA (HUN) df. Ammar ALNAJE (SYR) by TF, 8-0
BRONZE- Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ) df. Ismail ALIYEU (BLR) by TF, 9-0

67kg
GOLD- Alexey KIYANKIN (RUS) df. Aslan POGHOSYAN (ARM) by TF, 9-0
BRONZE- Yahor VLADYKA (BLR) df. Mate KRASZNAI (HIN) by TF, 9-0
BRONZE- Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA) df. Amin SURI (IRI), 5-5

72kg
GOLD- Adam JURAK (RUS) df. Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), 3-0
BRONZE-Petros MANOUILIDIS (GRE) df. Siarhei BARADZIULIA (BLR), 11-5
BRONZE- Armen HAKOBYAN (ARM) df. Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), 5-5

77kg
GOLD- Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) df. Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS), 6-2
BRONZE- Maxat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ) df. Tsimur BERDYIEU (BLR), 6-3
BRONZE- Tero HALMESMAKT (FIN) df. Shayan AFIFI (IRI), 2-0

82kg
GOLD- Imil SHARAFETDINOV (RUS) df. Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ), 7-3
BRONZE- Eduard SARGSYAN (ARM) df. Mehdi MOHAMADZADEH (IRI) by TF, 11-0
BRONZE- Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. Roland SCHWARZ (GER), 5-2

87kg
GOLD- Sosruko KODZOKOV (RUS) df. Arman ALIZADEH ABDVALI (IRI) by TF, 13-4
BRONZE- Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG) df, Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR), 7-3
BRONZE- Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Maximilian REMENSPERGER (GER), 8-1

97kg
GOLD- Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) df. Damian VONEUW (SUI) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE- Ali Akbar HEIDARI (IRI) df. Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ), 4-0
BRONZE- Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) df. Turman EYUBOV (AZE) by TF, 8-0

130kg
GOLD- Vitalii SHCHUR (RUS) df. Balint LAM (HUN), 7-2
BRONZE- Toannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE) df. Nurdaulet OMIRBEKOV (KAZ) by forfeit
BRONZE-Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI) df. Eduard POPP (GER) by FALL

#BeachWrestling, #BeachWrestlingWorldSeries

With Dakar 2026 Approaching, UWW Ramps Up Beach Wrestling in Africa

Friday, July 25, 2025 - 09:38 By Vinay Siwach

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CASABLANCA, Morocco (July 25) -- With Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games less than 500 days away, United World Wrestling is committed to reinforcing wrestling's presence on the African continent.

As a result, for the first time an African city will host the Beach Wrestling World Series. Casablanca, Morocco will see the third leg of the Beach Wrestling World Series from September 6-7, 2025, at the picturesque Ain Diab beach.

There is more in store for Africa. The final of the Beach Wrestling World Series will be held in Alexandria, Egypt on October 18 and 19, 2025.

UWW is calling for participants. REGISTER HERE!

Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)

The World Series participants will be provided with top-class facilities including five-star hotel boarding, food in hotels and transportation to the competition venue. The conditions will therefore be exceptional for a Beach Wrestling event.

Prior to the World Series, the African Championships in U15, U17 and U20 age-groups will also be held in the same venue on September 4 and 5. All wrestlers who are 18 years or older from the African Championships can take part in the World Series as well.

This is not the first time UWW has stepped up its commitment to Beach Wrestling. Along with UWW Africa, UWW provided technical assistance to African wrestlers last year and has now decided to continue that for the U15 and U17 groups.

UWW reminds all countries that the participation in these tournaments is important as the same wrestlers can be considered with priority for the Youth Olympic Games while allotting the decided quotas for Dakar 2026.

UWW's vision is to develop the younger groups who will be part of the Youth Olympics in Dakar. And it was a step in that direction to start U15 competitions in Beach Wrestling from 2025.

Irina RINGACI (MDA)World champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) competes in Beach Wrestling in Porec, Croatia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

One of the outcomes of its continued efforts was the participation numbers in the U17 Pan-Am Beach Wrestling Championships in Rio de Janeiro and the U17 Asian Beach Wrestling Championships in Vietnam this year.

The local organizing committee in Rio had to add one more ring to accommodate the participants during the event. At the Asian Championships, India, China, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam and other nations participated with full teams.

Similarly, the wrestlers are encouraged to participate in the U17 and U20 World Beach Wrestling Championships in Katerini-Pieria, Greece on September 25 and 26.

Check out beachwrestling.org for all Beach Wrestling News!

UWW's decisions underscore its deep commitment to uplifting and expanding the sport of wrestling across Africa, particularly with the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on the horizon.

For any queries, wrestlers, NFs or organizers can contact -- sports@uww.org.